A group of eleven people, including a man in a wheelchair, pose and smile outdoors on a grassy garden in front of a white house on a sunny day, celebrating the completion of flood repairs in Hawke’s Bay.

Flood Repairs in Hawke’s Bay: Working Alongside Whānau

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After Cyclone Gabrielle, many whānau across Te Matau-a-Māui were left carrying more than the visible damage to their homes. Floodwater had affected whare, belongings, services, access and routines. For some, the path back to a warm, safe and functional kāinga was not straightforward.

Through the Te Puni Kōkiri Flood Repairs Programme, Manzis Build was engaged to help administer and deliver essential repair work for whānau Māori across Hawke’s Bay. The mahi was practical, but it was also personal. These were homes connected to memory, whakapapa, whānau security and day-to-day wellbeing.

A single-storey house with a grey roof and garage, seen on a cloudy day in Hawke’s Bay. There are puddles and muddy ground in front of the house, possibly due to recent flood repairs. The garden appears unfinished.

Across the programme, our team directly managed repairs to 40 kāinga, with 47 recipients supported overall through direct repairs, resilience support or Te Puni Kōkiri-directed assistance.

The work took us across Waihua, Te Hāroto, Waiohiki, Ōmāhu, Hastings, Te Hauke, Waipawa and Pōrangahau. Each home had its own story, its own condition and its own pressures. Our role was to bring practical building knowledge, strong coordination and genuine care to a recovery process that needed to be handled properly.

Four people stand in front of a grey Te Puni Kōkiri lorry parked outdoors, with trees in the background. Two of the group wear black T-shirts, while one wears a green top and another a dark blue shirt. Gathering as whānau in Hawke’s Bay, they are united to support ongoing flood repairs in their community.

A high-trust delivery model

From the outset, this kaupapa required a high-trust delivery model. 

Manzis Build assisted in the design of how the programme would be delivered, with each property assessed, scoped and costed by our team before being reviewed and approved by Te Puni Kōkiri prior to works starting. 

From there, we were trusted to work directly with whānau and manage the delivery end to end across multiple communities and households, each with their own challenges, stories and pressures.

That level of trust is not something we take lightly.

Importantly, it meant holding the practical delivery together while also respecting the whānau, homes and circumstances connected to each scope of work. Some kāinga needed urgent repairs to make them safe and functional. Others required more considered planning around warmth, drainage, access, resilience or future use.

Each one needed to be assessed properly, scoped thoroughly and coordinated in a way that kept the mahi moving without losing sight of the people involved.

Two people stand outdoors by a vehicle. One person in a hoodie looks concerned while reading a plan, whilst the other, wearing a cap and checked jacket, points to something on the paper.

Community-led delivery, kanohi ki te kanohi

One of the strongest learnings from the programme was the value of being present.

That meant kanohi ki te kanohi assessments, dedicated points of contact for each whānau, thorough and considered scoping, and well-coordinated planning that kept the mahi manageable from assessment through to delivery.

Many of the whānau we worked with had been directly impacted in ways that extended beyond physical damage. As a team, many of us were living through the same wider regional disruption with our own families and tamariki. That shared context shaped how we approached the work.

Being on the frontline meant meeting people where they were, reaching whānau who can be hard to access through standard processes, and managing expectations carefully around what could and could not be done within the programme.

It reinforced something simple but important: good delivery is not only technical. It is also relational. The way the work is communicated, sequenced and followed through matters, especially when people are already carrying the weight of recovery.

Outcomes that mattered

The programme supported 47 recipients across Hawke’s Bay, including 40 kāinga where Manzis Build directly managed repair work. The homes varied in location, condition, access and need, so the delivery approach had to be structured without becoming rigid.

Beyond the repairs themselves, the programme created wider outcomes we are proud of. It engaged 59 local businesses, including 23 Pakihi Māori. That kept work and skills in the region, supported local trades and helped strengthen Māori business participation during a difficult period for the community and the construction sector.

Wherever possible, the aim was to leave kāinga better than we found them. Not just repaired, but safer, warmer, drier and more functional for the whānau living there.

A person in a yellow raincoat points to water-damaged, stained, and rotting wooden cladding on a white house in Hawke’s Bay, with wet grass and puddles nearby—highlighting the urgent need for flood repairs to protect their whānau.

Why this work was personal

This programme demanded a level of care that went beyond standard residential work.

We were often working with whānau who were tired, stressed, displaced or still dealing with losses that were not always visible. Holding clear boundaries while still leading with empathy was one of the most important parts of the mahi.

A person in a yellow vest uses a handheld device to scan the wooden framework of a building under construction or undergoing flood repairs, with exposed earth and insulation visible, as part of an effort to support whānau in Hawke’s Bay.
Five construction workers stand in a partially renovated room in Hawke’s Bay, with exposed wall frames, tools and toolboxes on the floor. One person gestures towards a wall as they discuss Cyclone Gabrielle repairs, while the others watch and listen like a supportive whānau.
A construction worker wearing a "MANZIS BUILD" vest uses a hammer on the wooden frame of an unfinished interior wall inside a building, working diligently on Flood Repairs in Hawke’s Bay to help restore homes for whānau.

For our team, it reinforced why residential building work carries so much responsibility. Homes are not just assets. They are places of memory, whakapapa, safety and routine. When a home is damaged, the impact is practical, emotional and often generational.

That is why the process mattered as much as the finished result. The assessments, conversations, scheduling, trade coordination and follow-up all had to be handled with respect.

Three people stand outdoors on a decking near a table with food. One man smiles by a microphone, perhaps making an announcement about the Te Puni Kōkiri Flood Repairs Programme; another man and a woman are chatting and smiling. There are potted plants and a parked car in the background.

What this programme taught us as a business

Professionally, this work sharpened us.

Managing dozens of homes concurrently across different locations strengthened our backend delivery. It tested our scheduling, resourcing, administration, reporting, contractor management and ability to scale without losing quality or connection.

A construction worker in safety gear uses a power tool to work on a wall with exposed studs near a window, with sunlight streaming in, a dedicated effort as part of Cyclone Gabrielle repairs supporting whānau in Hawke’s Bay.

There are things we would approach differently if we were setting up a programme of this scale again, particularly around contract structure and how programme requirements align with day-to-day delivery on the ground. Those learnings are now embedded in the way we think about future projects.

The programme also reinforced the value of good people around the work: suppliers who sharpened pricing to support the kaupapa, trades who travelled or re-prioritised work, and relationships that will last well beyond this programme.

Voices from whānau

One of the most meaningful parts of this work was hearing directly from whānau once repairs were complete.

“Our family experience dealing with Manzis Build was awesome rebuilding our family homestead after the floods. They did an amazing job. Communication between Arana and the team was key. My mum broke down in tears of joy seeing the final results. Thanks for being there Manzis Build. You have created a dream for our family and new memories in a refurbished home.”

Jason Southon, Waiohiki

Feedback like this stays with our team. It is a reminder that a repair is not just a scope of work. It can help a whānau move from uncertainty back toward stability, and return to a place that feels like home again.

A man in a black cap and a woman in green stand by a wooden worktop in a white kitchen, examining the surface together as they discuss flood repairs for their whānau home in Hawke’s Bay.

Looking ahead

No one wanted this work to be needed. Cyclone Gabrielle caused real damage across Hawke’s Bay, and many whānau are still living with the effects.

But we are grateful for the trust placed in us by Te Puni Kōkiri, the whānau who welcomed us into their homes, and the local businesses, suppliers and trades who helped deliver the mahi.

This programme has shaped Manzis Build. It has strengthened how we think about recovery work, community-led delivery and the responsibility that comes with working in people’s homes.

Our focus now is on carrying those lessons forward: building well, communicating openly, coordinating properly and continuing to support warm, safe and functional kāinga across Hawke’s Bay.

Before & After Gallery

A house interior with walls partially demolished, exposing wooden studs and insulation. The floor is bare concrete, and there are large windows letting in natural light. The space appears under renovation or repair, likely undergoing flood repairs in Hawke’s Bay to restore a safe and welcoming environment for the whānau.
Modern kitchen with white cupboards, three white bar stools at the counter, and a black sofa with white cushions in the foreground—creating an inviting space perfect for whānau gatherings. The beige walls are adorned with framed artwork, whilst windows provide natural light throughout this welcoming Hawke’s Bay home that has recently undergone expert flood repairs.
A cluttered living room in Hawke’s Bay with a fireplace, shovel, stacks of books and magazines on a table, a chair, and a clear plastic storage box. The room appears dusty and disorganised, as if whānau have recently gathered here in the midst of flood repairs.
A room with wooden floors, a fireplace with a wooden mantelpiece, a large mirror leaning against the wall, and a red equipment trolley with coiled cables reflects the ongoing flood repairs in Hawke’s Bay. There is an open doorway and a window letting in natural light.
A house under renovation, undergoing flood repairs, is surrounded by scaffolding. A white van with "Manzini Build" on the side is parked on the lawn in front, along with building materials and equipment—an everyday scene in Hawke’s Bay as local whānau work together to rebuild their homes.
Aerial view of a single-storey house with a grey metal roof, white exterior walls, cars, and farming equipment parked nearby. The garden is grassy with scattered patches of earth—a typical Hawke’s Bay whānau home, possibly undergoing flood repairs.